Sourindra Mohun Tagore Biography 
Sourindra Mohun Tagore was a Bengali musicologist from West Bengal. He belonged to the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family. He studied both Indian and western music theory and founded the Bengal Music School and Bengal Academy of Music. He was also known as a staunch supporter of British and its agencies in India. He is credited to establishing the first Indian music orchestra in Kolkata. He was also an art collector who mainly collected Indian musical instruments and donated them to museums across the world.
Sourindra Mohun Tagore was born in the year 1840 as the son of Hara Kumar Tagore, who was a leading land owner, philanthropist, Sanskrit scholar, writer and musician, who assisted Radhakanta Deb in compiling the work - Sabdakalpadrum. His younger brother Jotindro Mohun Tagore was a theatre personality and art patron, and also a philanthropist. Sourindra Mohun Tagore studied western style of education in Hindu college. He was interested in music – both Indian and western. He published a book on music at the age of 15 and also set up the first Indian music orchestra in Calcutta.
When Queen Victoria was declared as the new ruler of India, a new national anthem was written titled - "God Save the Queen". Sourindra was asked to set Indian translations of this anthem to Indian tunes that would suit Indian musical taste. He translated Kalidasa's Malavikagnimitra to Bengali. In 1877 he made an attempt to revive musical ties with Japan. He was given an honorary Doctorate of Music by Philadelphia in 1875 and Oxford in 1895. He was given several royal recognitions by British and other foreign countries, Knight Commander of the Royal Order of the Crown of Italy being one such.
Published: February 03, 2019
Updated: February 03, 2019
